Li Xiyu's words were like a thunderbolt out of the blue, almost shattering the composure of those present. Shen Mingzhu nearly choked and immediately covered her mouth, coughing.
Xie Lang had been bantering with Shen Mingzhu just a second ago, but the next moment he obediently shut his mouth. He sat there motionless, looking like a gourd with its mouth tied.
Even Chun Tao, who was standing behind them, was startled. When she met Li Xiyu's inquiring look, she immediately knew that Li Xiyu had misunderstood. So she smiled bitterly and shook her head.
Seeing Chun Tao's expression, Li Xiyu didn't know whether to laugh or cry.
She was quite surprised that these two still hadn't made their feelings clear!
Well, matters of the heart were best left alone by outsiders.
Li Xiyu smiled to break the awkward silence and pretended to be surprised as she said, "Sorry. I haven't been back to the capital for a long time. It seems I've misunderstood."
With that, Li Xiyu got up to pour wine. She filled a cup for both Shen Mingzhu and Xie Lang, then raised her glass and said, "Let me offer you both a toast as an apology!"
Hearing this, the faint blush on Shen Mingzhu's face gradually faded. But when Xie Lang saw the wine in Li Xiyu's hand, the memory of that day's drinking came back in an instant. His face turned even redder. Stammering, he raised his glass and said, "I'd like to... offer you a toast too."
Li Xiyu drank the wine with a smile and then glanced at Shen Mingzhu.
After the meal, Shen Mingzhu continued to catch up with Li Xiyu. Xie Lang left first, saying he had something to attend to.
Seeing that Li Xiyu looked much better than when she left the capital, Shen Mingzhu gradually felt relieved. She looked at Li Xiyu and asked, "Sister Xiyu, why did you come back?"
The capital was truly a cesspool.
"Chaochao." Li Xiyu's expression dimmed slightly. After a moment of silence, she continued, "I always feel that his disappearance was not that simple."
"Although your father and mother searched for so long with all their might, I still can't let it go."
Shen Mingzhu fell silent.
If she hadn't discovered some clues after Shen Mingyuan ascended the throne, she might still be kept in the dark.
"I don't know what I can do, but I have to try." Li Xiyu said with a glimmer of tears in her eyes. Her gaze at Shen Mingzhu was full of grief. "Chaochao, he has never appeared in my dreams."
Looking at the tears in Li Xiyu's eyes, Shen Mingzhu felt as if someone was stabbing her heart with a knife, over and over again. The pain made it hard for her to breathe.
"We had promised to get married after the southern tour." Li Xiyu said. She could no longer maintain her composure. "You're still investigating, aren't you?"
Shen Mingzhu didn't answer.
She didn't want Li Xiyu to get involved anymore and keep suffering. When talking to Xie Lang just now, she also hinted at Xie Lang to skip the key points and steer their conversation towards business.
The room was so quiet that only Li Xiyu's soft sobs could be heard. Outside, it was bustling. This was one of the busiest streets in the capital. Although the windows were tightly closed, the sounds of people still came in.
Shen Mingzhu closed her eyes for a moment, feeling a bit dazed. Looking at Li Xiyu crying, all she felt in her heart was hatred.
"Sister Xiyu." Shen Mingzhu said. She got up and handed Li Xiyu a handkerchief. "You don't have to get involved anymore. You still have a long life ahead. If you live well in the future, brother will rest in peace."
Li Xiyu took the handkerchief and wiped the tears on her face. She forced herself to take a deep breath before she could speak steadily. "Chaochao, I was so stupid. I didn't dare to read the letters Mingcheng sent me in the past two years."
With that, Li Xiyu took out several letters from her bosom and put them in Shen Mingzhu's hands. She said angrily, "These are the letters Mingcheng sent me during his southern tour. I just had the courage to take them out recently and found something wrong."
Li Xiyu's hands were trembling. Her face became paler and paler, and her gaze at Shen Mingzhu became more and more sorrowful. "Mingcheng might have noticed something wrong early on, but it was already too late."
"He only said that this matter was a bit troublesome and he might have to return in a hurry. He was worried that our wedding would be postponed." Li Xiyu said, sobbing uncontrollably. "But... but how could this happen?"
Shen Mingzhu felt as if she had fallen into an ice cellar.
"Thank you, Sister Xiyu." She took the letters and said in a deep voice, "I will definitely find a way to give brother an explanation."
...
The way back to the Xie Mansion wasn't long. As soon as Shen Mingzhu returned, she saw Xie Lang sitting in the yard drinking tea. When he saw her coming in through the door, a faint smile appeared on his face. He raised his eyebrows and said, "Your Highness is back?"
"Yes." Shen Mingzhu replied. She said to Xie Lang, "I'm back."
Cooperating with Xie Lang was extremely difficult, so Shen Mingzhu naturally didn't dare to let her guard down in front of him.
She sat down and took the tea Xie Lang offered. She took a sip to moisten her throat and then sat there silently, staring blankly at the withered tree.
"You..."
Seeing the obvious depression on Shen Mingzhu's face, Xie Lang sighed but didn't say anything.
She had learned a lot of news today. Shen Mingzhu sat there for a while before she planned to go into the house to take a good look at those letters.
But before she could get up, Chun Tao pushed the door open with a solemn face. She saluted Shen Mingzhu and said, "Your Highness, His Majesty has sent some things."
Shen Mingyuan? What was he up to this time?
Shen Mingzhu frowned subconsciously. The next moment, she saw the chief eunuch beside Shen Mingyuan smiling obsequiously. He saluted Shen Mingzhu and flattered her, "Your Highness."
"His Majesty has heard that you were assassinated and has ordered a thorough investigation." After saying that, the chief eunuch waved his hand behind him and continued, "Your Highness must have been frightened. Coincidentally, the items from the Western Regions' last tribute have just been sorted out. His Majesty has ordered this humble servant to bring some to you."
Shen Mingzhu looked over and saw several large rosewood boxes being carried in by the palace servants.
Her expression remained unchanged. She said to the chief eunuch, "There's no need for this. You'd better take them back to His Majesty. I can't accept so many things here."
"Oh! Your Highness, aren't you making things difficult for this humble servant? If I really take these things back, His Majesty might skin me alive!"
The chief eunuch looked extremely bitter.
Why had the relationship between the prince and the emperor become like this? They were such good siblings. But then His Majesty suddenly married off Princess Mingzhu. He had thought that the two would never reconcile. But now His Majesty's actions didn't seem to be those of the man who had married off Princess Mingzhu!
Truly, the emperor's heart was unfathomable!
Shen Mingzhu saw his dilemma. After hesitating for a moment, she said, "Alright, leave them. You can go."
Watching the chief eunuch leave with a beaming face, Shen Mingzhu turned to Xie Lang and said, "Take a look for yourself. Is there anything you want?"
Xie Lang was startled and felt flattered. He looked at Shen Mingzhu and probed, "What if I want them all?"
"Alright." Shen Mingzhu didn't even raise her eyes. She continued, "Then let Chun Tao find someone to move them to your place."
How could Xie Lang really accept so many things from Shen Mingzhu? But when he heard her say that she would give them all to him, he felt really different.
Forcing himself to suppress the urge to smile, Xie Lang's eyes were full of joy.
"Your Highness."
Chun Tao, who had gone to see off the chief eunuch, came back. She said to Shen Mingzhu, "Mrs. Liu requests an audience."